Jean-Philippe Mateta goal earns Palace first league win of season against Spurs
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-half goal dealt Tottenham a blow and lifted Crystal Palace to their first Premier League win of the season with a 1-0 victory at Selhurst Park.
Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou, without captain Son Heung-min, handed 17-year-old Mikey Moore his first league start, and it soon became clear the hosts were going to make it more difficult for the visitors than perhaps some expected.
Mateta grabbed the game’s only goal in the 31st minute, and while Brennan Johnson struck the post in a near-instant reply, neither side were able to alter the scoreline despite a decent number of chances.
Three points at home also meant Palace swerved slumping to their worst-ever start to a Premier League season, having entered the contest without a victory in eight matches.
The hosts got off to an encouraging start, but both sides struggled to create clear-cut chances in the early stages.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner was forced to call upon Will Hughes to replace Jefferson Lerma, who limped off in the 22nd minute.
Action had barely resumed when Spurs’ Dejan Kulusevski went down, then Pedro Porro near the touchline soon after. The former required treatment but both were deemed fit to continue.
Maxence Lacroix nodded an effort over the crossbar then Ismaila Sarr went a bit closer, firing straight at Guglielmo Vicario before Mateta broke the deadlock.
Spurs allowed Daniel Munoz to swoop in and pounce on a loose ball from a cross to the right of the penalty area. The Colombian’s delivery found Ebere Eze, who in turn set up Mateta with a deft move and the Frenchman netted the opener with a low finish.
The visitors went within inches of a swift reply on the counter-attack when Johnson clipped Dean Henderson’s left post from close range following a scramble, Chelsea loanee Trevoh Chalobah clearing the rebound off the line.
Both sides continued to apply pressure, but the Eagles retained their at the break after a big save from Henderson to deny James Maddison in stoppage time.
Munoz got the second half started with a shot, well over, and while Eze had the ball in the back of the net in the 50th minute, the flag was quickly raised, a VAR check confirming the offside.
The hosts wanted a penalty when Eze claimed he was tugged down by Micky van de Ven in the area but referee Darren Bond disagreed and the game carried on.
Maddison was again denied by Henderson, before Palace had a flurry of attempts to double their lead. Sarr’s effort was deflected, then another miss from Munoz before Vicario got a glove to the Colombian’s cross and Eze volleyed over.
Palace protested that Van de Ven, the last man, should have been sent off when Sarr went down under his challenge on the left, but Bond showed the Netherlands defender only a yellow card.
Sarr was replaced by Eddie Nketiah after undergoing treatment, with Palace then unable to make anything of the resulting free-kick.
Postecoglou had by that point made a trio of substitutions, swapping out Moore, Maddison and Kulusevski for Timo Werner, Richarlison and Pape Sarr as they looked to rescue a point.
Adam Wharton almost gave Palace breathing space with just under 10 minutes remaining, first forcing Vicario into an outstretched save before sending the ball into the stands from Hughes’ corner.
Spurs put Palace under more pressure during stoppage time, when Werner forced Henderson into another stop through a crowd, the home goalkeeper then punching away a final cross as his side got over the line for a long-awaited victory.
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